At Summer's End
by blueeyedlamb
Summary: This summer was going to be different then any so far in Bella's life. Add in a lake house, her two best friends, some character building and a certain green-eyed man. AH, OOC, mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Characters not mine, plotline is.  
**Huge thank you to Lala for being the best beta and dealing with my poor grammar. **

At Summer's End

_Chapter 1

* * *

_

I closed my book and set it down on the small table next to the lounge chair. The sun was beating down on me in delicious waves, my ivory skin finally getting some UV rays. I switched my iPod music from alternative to a more soothing jazz, settling back in my chair and adjusting my sunglasses.

I was enjoying my first full day of summer. The day before had been rainy, which isn't something unheard of in Washington state. Seattle was where I hailed from…but please don't let your first reaction be Space Needle. It's just so…touristy.

Anyways, I was fresh out of high school (graduation was only two days prior). I was planning on staying around through June and July before hightailing it to Chicago for college in August. Northwestern to be exact.

So what is a young eighteen year old girl up to for her first summer as an adult?

Absolutely nothing.

I'm what you would call a bookworm. Nothing exciting ever happens to me. I have lived a pretty structured life for the past eighteen years. Maybe that comes from being my father's daughter. He was a sheriff for the Seattle Police Department. His job leads him to live with a certain mind-set, and it must have rubbed off on me. It's not like I want to be like this. The only exciting things in my life were my best friends, Rosalie and Alice.

Now those girls are what I would love to be like. Alice was carefree and the life of any party. Rosalie was…well…beautiful beyond belief and had no trouble landing the object of her eye. The closest I came to a boyfriend was Mike Newton in junior year. He reminded me of a retriever…sweet and loyal. Not very exciting.

I was a bit thankful that I was moving across the country since Charlie had decided to drop the news that he was taking a position as Police Chief of some small, logging town on the coast. I think he said the town was called Forks. Even the name was a bore. I just couldn't believe he was leaving his sheriff position after so many years; the guys down at the station were like family.

He wouldn't be going alone though. Rosalie was soon to be my step-sister, even though I had considered her practically my sister since elementary school. Her dad passed away when we were fourteen, leaving only her and her mother. My dad and I kind of stepped in as a surrogate family, offering support wherever we could. Four years later, Mrs. Hale was going to become Mrs. Swan in the fall. I was happy that Diane and Charlie were able to find love out of something so sad.

My mom had left when I was only two. I don't keep in touch with her very often, only hearing from her every other year or so. Last I heard she was shacking up with some young guy in Florida. Good…let her stay on the opposite coast.

So, as Rosalie, Alice and I set out on our own adventures (Rose to Los Angeles, Alice to NYC and myself to Chicago), Charlie and Diane would make their way to Forks.

I turned over onto my stomach, not wanting one side to fry more than the other. I was interrupted by my phone buzzing next to me.

Rose.

"Hey," I answered.

"Bella? Where are you?"

"Um…out by the pool."

"Oh good. Alice and I have a question to ask you. Don't move." She hung up before I could reply. Don't move? Where the hell was I going to rush off to?

I sat back up in a sitting position, switching off my music. I grasped the towel that was under me and wrapped it around my lower half.

It wasn't long before I heard clicking coming from inside; Alice and Rosalie in their ever present high heels.

"Belllllaa!" Alice sang.

"Alliiii!" I mimicked.

"Hush bitches. Time to get down to business." Rosalie was definitely the businesswoman of our little trio.

They both sat down on the lounge with me, staring at me intently.

"Bella…" Alice said in a tone I knew too well.

"What do you want?"

"What is your ideal summer like?" Rosalie asked.

"Umm…I don't know. Not being stuck around here the whole time I guess."

Alice immediately began clapping her hands. "Good. Because I just got an excellent offer!"

"And?" I prompted.

"You know how daddy has that lake house just outside of Portland? Well he offered to let us use it for the summer as a graduation gift! Pack your bags ladies…we are going on a road trip."

"That huge house all to ourselves?" I muttered, staring dreamily off into the distance. I imagine swimming in the calm lake, sun tanning to my hearts content, cute guys…and I immediately decided that I wanted to break away from the Old Bella. Time to get New Bella acquainted with the real world.

"So what do you say Bell?" Rosalie asked.

"I say we do it!" They both looked a little shocked at my outburst…but I couldn't contain it.

"Excellent. Now we just have to clear it with Charlie." Rosalie looked at me with wary eyes, unsure of how my father was going to react.

"Leave him to me. And maybe if we use the fact that he knows some of the guys in uniform down there then he probably can't protest too much."

-oo-

Later that night I found Charlie lounging on the leather couch in the game room or 'man room'. He was staring intently at whatever was on ESPN, a Vitamin R resting limply in his hand.

"Hey dad, can I talk to you?"

He turned from the television, nodding silently.

"Okay. You know how hard I worked in high school to get the grades that I did…and I never really did anything for me? Well Alice, Rose and I had a conversation today about what we wanted to do for the summer…" I trailed off.

He raised his eyebrow. "What did you decide on?"

"Um...well…Alice's dad offered up his vacation home in Portland for the summer. It is a graduation gift for the three of us. Would you be alright with us going?"

"You girls alone?"

"Well yeah. Who else would we bring?"

"I don't know Bells…"

"Please! I am a good person...let me be young for once." I gritted my teeth, trying to maintain my verbal filter.

He sighed deeply, throwing his head back and staring at the ceiling. "I suppose I can let some of my buddies down there know that you will be around and to keep an eye on you. You promise you'll behave?"

"Dad…I'm eighteen years old! Let me act like the adult that I want to be."

His eyes narrowed and his faced turned a bit red. "Don't talk to me like that, especially if you are trying to get me to agree to something. I'm not saying I don't trust you girls, it's the other people that will be around that I don't trust."

"You know how responsible we are. I'm not going to go sleep with the first guy that smiles at me."

Charlie didn't say anything for a long moment; his eyes were tight and his lips were pulled into an even tighter line. "I need to think about it."

I couldn't help the small growl of frustration that escaped my throat. He glared at me again and I knew that I needed to back down.

Turning away from him, I swiftly left the room and headed upstairs to my room. Aggravation was the primary feeling…I did not appreciate the control he had over me, even if I was going to be living halfway across the country in a matter of weeks.

I spent the next hour working on my laundry and playing angry music. Suddenly I heard my dad yell for me. I tried not to get too excited as I rushed down the steps and came to an abrupt halt on the bottom step. Charlie had his arms crossed, looking like the epitome of a police officer.

"Okay. You guys can go. You will call me every other night, if you plan to head into Portland you will let me know, my friends will make occasional visits to make sure you are okay and you are to not do drugs! If you can adhere to these rules, then yes, you may go."

I squealed and leaped at him. He was a bit shocked at my open affection since the most we did was grunt and give one-armed hugs to show it.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I kissed him on the cheek and ran upstairs, hollering for Rose and Alice as I went.

They both rushed into my bedroom, already dressed in their pajamas.

"Well ladies. You better get your bags packed…we're going to Portland!" I said happily.

* * *

**A/N: **I've been really nervous about posting this which is the usual case with my new fics. I'd love to know what you thought about it! Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Twilight.  
**A/N: **Pictures that accompany this chapter can be found in my blog: http: / blueeyedlamb . /2010/07/at-summers-end-ch-2-pictures . html  
Thank you **Lala **for beta'ing.

At Summer's End

_Chapter 2_

* * *

"Turn in here Rose," Alice's voice rang from the backseat.

We had driven past the city limits of Portland and finally arrived at Lake Oswego.

I rolled down my window and poked my head out of the car. My eyes swept the surrounding lake, noticing the huge houses that ringed the edge of it.

The sun was shining. Only puffy, white clouds hovered in the sky. Just three hours south of Seattle and the weather was a good twenty degrees warmer.

It was the beginning of July and we'd arrived the day before the 4th of July. I was a bit worried that we should have arrived earlier in order to finalize plans for the day, but Alice kept insisting that she just _knew _we would have plans by the end of our first night.

We drove over the private bridge to get to the house…yes, it had a bridge. The car finally came to a halt in front of the Brandon house…if you could call it that. It was tucked into the side of the hill and surrounded by trees - definitely no shack.

We piled out of the car and began to unload our belongings. Alice's luggage took up most of the space as usual.

I followed her through the front door with a duffle thrown over one shoulder, a tote bag hanging off the other and a roller following on my heels. I stopped in the entry as a bunch of memories of past summers spent here came back to me. The last time I'd stepped foot in the house was when I was fifteen and that was quite a summer for me.

We'd already pulled straws to determine who was sleeping where. There were two master bedrooms along with three normal sized guest rooms. Luckily I managed to grab one of the masters, excited to have my own bathroom.

I was in the process of putting away my clothes when Alice's head popped into the room. Her eyes settled on my tote bag, a grimace appearing on her face.

"Couldn't you have left the books at home Bella?"

"What's the big deal about bringing some reading material along?" I huffed.

"I thought you wanted to break away from your usual routine but yet you brought the library with you."

I shrugged and went back to unpacking.

-oo-

A bit later we were walking along Lakeview Boulevard in search of something for dinner. Alice was talking incessantly about driving into Portland to shop and when we should go. She had seen the swimsuits I brought and had a conniption. Rose would speak up occasionally but was mostly eyeing the guys that would cross our paths.

Now I love these girls. Rose would soon be my sister in every sense and Alice was pretty much an adoptive daughter already.

Rosalie may have been drop dead gorgeous with her blonde hair, tall physique and blue-green eyes, but she was one tough girl. She was very loyal and wouldn't hesitate to strike down anyone or anything that threatened somebody she loved.

Alice was beautiful in her own way. She was no taller then 5'1" without heels, but her personality made up for the height deficiency. Also, she was the fashionista of the group and always trying to force me into outfits that I wouldn't have picked for myself.

The sun was beginning to set and I thrilled at the idea that the temperature still seemed to be warm without the need for a coat.

We picked out a small restaurant that seemed to be popular with the locals and got in line to be seated at the outdoor tables.

"Brandon, is that you?" called a male voice from behind us.

All three of us turned to find a group of guys lingering near the sidewalk. My eyes swept over them, noticing that they were Native American. Suddenly something clicked and I knew exactly who I was staring at.

"Jake?" I gasped.

The man in question zeroed in on me with his eyebrows scrunched together. I watched as recognition took over his face and an easy smile settled on his lips.

"I don't believe my eyes. Bella!" He swooped in and threw his arms around me. "What are you doing here?"

"Spending the summer at the lake house before heading off to school."

I pulled away and took a good look at the guy I thought I'd never see again. He'd grown almost a foot since the last time I saw him. His skin was very tan, speaking volumes at the amount of time that he spent outdoors. His dark, shiny hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and his caramel colored eyes danced with mischief and laughter.

I'd met Jacob Black the summer I was fifteen, the last time I had been to the lake. We quickly hit it off and he changed me a lot that summer. I guess you can say we casually dated during the two months I was there but we never put an official title on it.

After a summer of hand holding, stolen kisses, long talks on anything and everything, we had to say goodbye. He lived in the area but unfortunately I lived over three hours away. There were no tears, only smiles and an agreement that we were better off as friends. I left telling him that we should keep in touch knowing full well that neither of us would uphold it.

So seeing him three years later was a welcome surprise.

"Did you guys just get into town?" he answered, stepping back to stand with his friends.

"Yeah. Figured we'd come in to at least celebrate the 4th."

"Bella." I turned to look at Rose, her eyes widening slightly as if to say _Who are these guys?_

"Oh! Sorry…Jake, you obviously know Alice but this is my soon-to-be sister, Rosalie."

They shook hands before Jake introduced us to Sam, Jared and Embry.

"We actually have to get going but you guys should come to the bonfire we are having tomorrow night. Pretty much everybody that is under thirty will be down on the beach," Jake said.

I looked over at the girls and noticed Alice practically jumping out of her skin with excitement.

"I think we can be there. What time?"

"We'll be there all day but the crowd probably won't start picking up until around eight."

We said our goodbyes and continued on to dinner. Rosalie and Alice pretty much played firing squad with the constant questions about my history with Jake. Alice knew that we had been friends, but nothing more. They kept saying that I should try and reconnect with him the next night, but I couldn't bring myself to agree. I didn't see him in _that _way anymore.

-oo-

The music was loud and the crowd had expanded rather quickly. We'd arrived to the bonfire over an hour ago and it was in full swing. I sniffed the cup of alcohol that was handed to me by Rose, noting that I felt slightly wobbly. It probably didn't help that I was already on my third drink.

"You need to sip, not chug," Rose said, flipping her blonde curls over one of her shoulders.

I sighed. "I'm trying to not feel so uncomfortable."

"What do you have to feel uncomfortable about? You're wearing my lucky skinny jeans; for once your clothes don't look like something you put on in the dark. You have a great rack, plump lips, beautiful eyes and a nice ass. So shut up, smile and get your flirt on."

My mouth opened a bit at Rose's version of a pep talk. She wasn't one to beat around the bush with subtleties.

I was just about to answer when I heard my name being called.

"Bella!"

I swung around quickly, almost losing my balance on the sand.

Jake was walking towards me holding hands with a girl. As they moved closer I noticed just how beautiful she was. Her long, brown hair was highlighted with blonde and up in a ponytail, the end of the strands curling. She had bright blue eyes and her skin was slightly darker then mine.

"Hey Bella. Glad to see you guys could make it," Jake said with a bright smile.

I nodded with a smile, feeling awkward.

He looked between the two of us and seemed to remember that we didn't know one another.

"Sorry! Bella, this is my girlfriend Angela. Angie, this is my old friend Bella."

"It's nice to meet you Bella," she said grasping my hand. "Jake was just telling me about running into you. I'm glad you could make it, sometimes hanging with all guys can get lonely."

"I can only imagine. How long have you been together?" I asked genuinely.

"It'll be six months next week. I moved up here from Colorado and I met him my first day. It was hard enough starting a new school halfway through my last year of high school, but meeting Jake helped."

We talked for awhile, eventually Jake walked off to greet some people behind us. I discovered that I really liked Angela. She was nice despite her appearance; girls like her were usually intimidating and bitchy to someone like me. Apparently he told her that we had some history together and much to my shock, she didn't seem to care.

Eventually Rose and Alice came and introduced themselves. The girls were talking about some new Italian boots that Alice was salivating over getting when I decided to go get yet another cup of tequila.

Because I was concentrating on cutting a lime, I didn't hear someone come up behind me.

"Need help?" I felt warm breath run along the back of my neck, causing me to shiver.

I turned and almost lost my balance at the sight of him. The stranger was tall, lean, had slightly longer hair then probably necessary that curled along the edges and around his forehead. His skin was slightly tanned and blemish free. My eyes traveled to his face which was clean shaven, showing off his angular jaw and cheekbones. His nose was slightly crooked, but not detracting from the overall affect and his eyes were the color of moss green.

I inhaled deeply, trying to get myself in order. "No, the knife is just dull."

I turned back around, not wanting this beautiful man to see my stupid blush. Picking up the knife, I resumed my work on the lime. I felt him come to stand next to me, picking up a cup and pouring himself a healthy share of the tequila.

But he didn't leave. Instead he turned towards me and popped his hip against the table, waiting for me to acknowledge him.

I tried really hard to keep my eyes focused on the task. He was so close though and it wasn't working. Combine that with the alcohol currently coursing through my system, everything felt heightened.

_What does he want? Doesn't he know what personal space means?_

I finally gave up and looked at him. He wore an amused smirk on his face and his eyes were trained on my hands.

Finally I got the lime cut, picking up half of it and handing it to him. His fingers gingerly took it from my hand as he continued to stand there.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked.

His smile got wider. "Nope."

I stared at him for a long moment, not amused by his behavior. "Well if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my friends."

I picked up my drink and began to turn away from him when I felt his hand grasp my bicep.

"Don't go yet."

I pulled my hand away from his grasp, forcing my eyes to make contact with his. "I don't appreciate being teased."

"I wasn't….just trying to have fun," he said softly. "I mostly came over to ask your name."

I hesitated on telling him my real name. What were the chances of running into him again?

And then I decided to ignore my inner chatter. "Bella. My name is Bella."

He held out his hand for a shake. "My name's Edward. It's a pleasure to meet you Bella…it suits you."

I took his hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Are you from around here Bella?" he asked while taking a sip out of his cup.

"Nope. On vacation."

"Me too…just got in today actually. I love it here."

I nodded before taking a sip of my own.

"Do you not talk much or something?" he inquired.

I arched my eyebrow at him, feeling like he was starting to come off as an asshole.

"No…I just don't know what to talk about."

"Well…what do you like to do for fun?"

I was about to answer when a loud whistle rung through the air. We both turned towards the noise, noticing a big guy sitting in a group around the bonfire.

"Hey Eddie. Get your ass over here! I got a lovely young lady over here that is anxious to meet you." He followed up with a bark of laughter, pointing to a busty redhead barely clad in a mini skirt and top.

My eyes snapped back to Edward, noticing his smirk once again. His eyes were trained in the direction of his friends, seemingly forgetting that he was talking to me.

I rolled my eyes and turned from him. As I walked away I looked over my shoulder and noticed that he was watching me walk away with a confused expression on his face.

"See you later _Eddie_," I said mockingly.

I tried to keep my anger at bay, not understanding where the hint of jealousy was coming from. The last thing I needed in my life was to be another notch on his belt…and I knew that was what he was after.

Stupid manwhore.

* * *

**A/N: **Just wanted to make a note that yes Jake will be in this story a bit…but he will not be a jerk or a threat. With that, I hope you enjoyed and perhaps see some of you at Comic-Con?


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Twilight. I do own a ticket to see the 100 Monkeys tomorrow night at the Viper Room.

**A/N: **Pictures for the Inn can be found here: www(dot)thelakeshoreinn(dot)com. Now I give you EPOV! Let me know what you think.

Thank you **Lala **for beta'ing.

At Summer's End

_Chapter 3

* * *

_

EPOV

Somebody was going to die.

At the very least somebody's head was going through drywall.

Yet even though the threat was growing for the person, the damn pounding continued off in the distance.

Slowly I came out of the fog of dreams, still stuck somewhere between consciousness and sleep. My eyes scrunched tighter from the rising sun that was beating behind my eyelids.

The rapping on the door continued - this time I heard my oaf of a brother's big mouth attached to the banging.

"Get up for chrissake! We're going to be late as is. Jasper wants to make it to the lake before sunset."

My eyes finally opened but the room blurred slightly. I drew my hand from under my body, shifting it clumsily over to the nightstand. Fumbling, I finally found my glasses before perching them on my nose.

It was the 4th of July; my suitcase was sitting neatly by my bedroom door. Emmett and Jasper had talked me into going up to Lake Oswego for the remainder of the summer, renting out a suite at some local inn.

Emmett and I were currently staying in San Francisco at our aunt and uncles place, spending the summer off with our cousin.

My head throbbed because I'd stayed up until three in the morning, engrossed in a new novel that one of my classmates had recommended. I looked at the alarm clock and let out a low groan; six in the morning.

It was a good ten hour drive to get to the lake, plus it was a holiday. I wished we would have left the day before but Emmett put the kibosh on that, stating that he had already made plans to see some show.

After a quick shower and a glance around the room, I picked up my suitcase and walked out. The jeep was already packed up with the others' luggage and a large cooler.

"Ready Edward?" Jaspers soft voice called from the trunk.

"Yeah. Didn't really appreciate the wake up call though," I mumbled.

He held his hand out for my luggage before hoisting it up and shifting it around to fit with the other stuff.

I opened up my book bag to make sure I had my laptop and a few other items, including a water bottle.

"Let's get this show on the road fellas!" Emmett roared as he made his way out from the house.

My aunt and uncle followed behind, shaking their heads with laughter. After a few goodbyes and the promise to call them when we made it to where we were staying, the jeep finally pulled out of the driveway.

Since we were driving in Emmett's vehicle, he felt that his music was the only choice. Jasper quickly fought him on that point as we left the city limits. Unfortunately for me it was either rap or country, neither of which made me particularly jump for joy.

With a huge need to drown out their bickering, I pulled out my iPod and quickly inserted my headphones. Immediately the soft strums of an acoustic guitar flooded my ear, blocking out any outside noise.

I laid my head on the back of the seat hoping for sleep to overtake me, as the ten hour drive seeming endless.

-oo-

The Lakeshore Inn was relatively small but right on the water. There was a penthouse suite with three bedrooms that occupied the top floor which Emmett had reserved months prior.

Of course Emmett immediately began complaining about the lack of food in his hefty body. Instead of helping us drag the luggage up to the room, he walked to in the direction of the small town in search of nutrition…or beer and cupcakes.

We'd been in the hotel room for all of thirty minutes before Emmett came waltzing back in and stating that we had plans for the evening. I knew it was fruitless to fight it so I turned toward my room in need of a shower to wash off the grime of travel.

I spent some time shaving off the morning scruff that I never got a chance to take care of earlier. Finally, wrapped only in a towel, I flipped open my suitcase and began rummaging for something to wear. I ended up pulling out tan cargo shorts and a plain white t-shirt, figuring that the outfit fit with wherever we would end up.

I'd barely managed to get my pants buttoned when Emmett made his way through my closed door.

"Do you not know the meaning of privacy?" I sighed, adjusting my glasses.

"You've known for _how_ long Eddie? The answer will always remain a resounding no."

He threw himself down on my bed, scattering the nicely placed pillows into disarray.

"Don't call me Eddie," I mumbled. I grabbed the t-shirt off of the bed, getting ready to pull it over my head.

"Stop right there. Dude, you are seriously not thinking of wearing that, right?"

"Yes Emmett that is why I am currently dressing in them. Why else would I put something on for the heck of it when we are leaving soon?"

"Those shorts are ridiculous bro." He hoisted himself off the mattress and made his way over to the opened suitcase. His hands moved around for a minute before he produced some designer jeans that my mom insisted that I should own. "These are what you should be wearing."

He threw them at me and I barely managed to catch them before they fell to the ground.

"I'm not wearing these. They're too snug in the thighs."

"Bullshit. Put them on while I find you a better shirt."

Reluctantly I stripped out of the shorts and stuffed my legs into the pants. After I had them on I looked myself over in the mirror. Silently I thought that they weren't as bad as I first thought they were but there was no way Emmett was going to hear that he was right.

He threw me a black oxford shirt, which I quietly put on before rolling the cuffs up to my elbows. I slipped on my well-worn chucks and put a little gel in my hair in hopes of taming it.

"I think you need to get rid of the glasses buddy. You brought your contacts right?" Emmett asked.

"Yes I brought the contacts but you know I hate them."

"The whole point of this mini transformation is to get you some tail Eddie."

"Quit calling me Eddie for the thousandth time," I growled.

"Whatever. Put the contacts in and then we can go." With that he swept out of the room. I stared hard at myself in the mirror, mentally battling over whether or not to listen to him. Of course the side of my brain that was in favor of Emmett's help won out.

A few minutes later I loaded into the back of the jeep. Emmett turned around to look at me before giving an approving nod.

"Glad you didn't bet against me," he laughed.

-oo-

"You need to chill out man, have another one." Jasper handed me yet another beer even though my equilibrium was already off balance.

"I don't…don't think I need anymore." I leaned my head back so that my eyes focused on the night sky. My mind continued to churn out the fact that I looked like a stupid fuck hanging out with my brother, cousin and all these women. Hell, one tried to sit on my lap and I was so nervous I ended up spilling part of my drink on her. Let's just say she stayed on the other side of the bonfire after that.

An hour passed and I was thoroughly buzzed - luckily I got a better hold of myself. Emmett and Jasper's goal of forcing me out of my shell appeared to be successful as I talked to random people about shallow topics.

My brother and cousin were what some people would call 'big men on campus.' While I spent many nights in the university library, they were likely at a pub or sporting event. I'd always been a bit of a recluse throughout my teenage and now adult years. So this summer Emmett and Jasper had made it their mission to expose me to other interests.

I noticed that my cup was empty again so I slowly make my way over to the table where everything was.

That's when I noticed the petite brunette already leaning over the table in heavy concentration. I stopped and couldn't help but trail my eyes down her frame. The jeans she was wearing made her ass look _amazing_.

I blinked a few times, suddenly feeling as if my contacts were dry.

I inched closer to her and caught some kind of fragrance wafting from her. Since I was past buzzed I unthinkingly leaned forward until my nose was close to her neck.

She was having difficulty cutting up something so I offered my help.

Suddenly she spun around, her eyes wide with surprise.

_Good going Cullen, scare the shit out of her._

She seemed to recover relatively quickly before replying, "No, the knife is just dull."

With that she turned back around and resumed cutting what it was she was working on. I moved around to her side and poured what I thought to be tequila. Everything tasted the same at this point, so I couldn't be sure.

I watched as she continued diligently working, which caused her hair to fall over her shoulder and into her face. I had to clench my empty hand into a fist in order to resist reaching out and fixing it.

Girls like her tended to ignore me. Whether it was the glasses, the wardrobe or maybe the social awkwardness that I usually projected, they barely gave me a second glance when there were guys like my brother around.

During my musings, a soft huff came from her. I immediately felt like an idiot for just standing there…she was probably creeped out now, thinking I'm a stalker.

Then she finally sliced through the lime and a triumphant smirk crossed her features. I couldn't help the smirk that took over mine, thinking she looked almost childlike for a moment.

She handed over a piece of the lime to me and my hopes lifted a little - maybe she wasn't annoyed.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked.

She sounded exacerbated and I smiled even more. "Nope."

Her features immediately turned serious and her lips settled into a frown. "Well if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my friends."

_Great…now she thinks I was making fun of her._

I tried to stop her and whispered, "Don't go yet."

"I don't appreciate being teased."

"I wasn't….just trying to have fun," I said softly, hating what the alcohol was doing to me. "I mostly came over to ask your name."

"Bella. My name is Bella," she replied.

I held out my hand for a shake. "My name's Edward. It's a pleasure to meet you Bella…it suits you. Are you from around here Bella?"

"Nope. On vacation."

"Me too…just got in today actually. I love it here," I responded, adding the last part on at the last minute.

She didn't respond, opting to take a drink from her cup instead.

"Do you not talk much or something?" I asked

I noticed her back went rigid and her forehead creased with irritation. "No…I just don't know what to talk about."

"Well…what do you like to do for fun?"

Suddenly a whistle broke, stopping the conversation in its tracks. My eyes swept the crowd until I settled on my brother whose eyes were trained on me. Abruptly I felt my stomach drop when I took stock of a few girls also looking my way.

"Hey Eddie. Get your ass over here! I got a lovely young lady that is anxious to meet you!" he yelled. Then he did the stupidest thing ever…he proceeded to laugh and point to the redhead sitting on one side of him.

And of course because I was drunk I found his behavior funny…unfortunately Bella looked up before I could wipe the smile off my face.

She turned on her heel and began walking away from me. My thought process was really slow and I couldn't understand why she had walked away.

"See you later _Eddie_," she yelled sarcastically over her shoulder.

_Dammit! She thought I was checking out the other girl._

I saw red and stormed over to Emmett.

"What the fuck Em! Could you _not _see I was talking to Bella?"

"Who's Bella?" he asked dumbly, stretching his neck to look behind me.

"You are such an idiot. I'm leaving. Thanks for nothing."

The fireworks were my only light as I made the trek back to the hotel.

-oo-

I woke up surprisingly early the following morning, my head pounding from the liquor. I drank a full glass of water along with some Ibuprofen to ease the pain.

The clock read nine a.m. but the suite was completely silent. I got up and hopped in the shower before I threw on the jeans I wore the night before, the white t-shirt that I had discarded and my glasses.

I walked barefoot into the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator. In desperate need of a hangover cure, I produced eggs, bacon and pancake mix.

The pancakes were just finishing up and I was about to go wake up the other two when a loud knock on the door shook the peacefulness of the suite.

Since I was in the middle of cooking I had hoped Emmett or Jasper would have gotten the door but that wasn't the case when the knock came again. This time there were two loud groans coming from the other two bedrooms and I heard muffled, _'Get the damn door!'_

I wiped my hands on the dish towel before making my way over to the door. Except I wasn't prepared to come face to face with Bella, the brunette that I drunkenly hit on the night before.

-oo-


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own.

At Summer's End

_Chapter 4

* * *

_

BPOV

I didn't fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning, figuring I'd sleep through the day anyway.

That was until Rosalie and Alice took it upon themselves to barge into my bedroom, throwing open the curtain and then proceeding to dog pile me.

Why did I love them again?

"Wakey, wakey," Alice sang.

I buried my head further into the pillows, grumbling at them to go away.

Usually I'm not a morning person but add on the headache I was currently sporting and I definitely wasn't in a happy place.

"Don't be a grump. It's nearly eight o'clock already," Rosalie said, pulling one of the pillows from over my head.

"Why do we have to be up this early again? I believe you failed to mention the reason."

I heard Alice giggle, causing me to unbury my head and turn toward her.

"Alice…met somebody," Rosalie said.

"When?" I sat up, throwing the covers off.

"Last night."

"I don't remember any guys…" I trailed off, the fog of last night making it hard to remember clearly.

"You kind of disappeared towards the end of the night Bella. Of course you didn't notice," Rose noted.

My mind immediately remembered the face of…_Edward_. Damn he was beautiful…too bad his personality didn't seem to match.

"Uh yeah…I went to get something to drink and ended up getting a bit sidetracked. Sorry I missed him Ali," I said sincerely.

"No worries. You'll get another chance because he invited us to breakfast. So get your ass shaken girlfriend…he's staying with his cousins. _Male _cousins," she said while waggling her eyebrows.

"You can stop right there. I don't need you to play matchmaker," I said.

"Quit being a prude. You're in a new place…starting a new chapter of your life. Live a little."

With that both girls left the room, telling me again to get dressed.

-oo-

Not even an hour later we found ourselves parking outside of a small hotel. I felt a bit weird going to some random person's room, but obviously I had little choice in the matter.

"Okay…his name is Jasper. He drove up yesterday from California with his cousins. Right now he's on summer break from Northwestern where he'll be a junior," Alice prattled out as we made our way from the elevator and down a hallway.

"He goes to school in Chicago?" I sighed.

"Yes! Isn't that the best part? Just imagine it…if this goes somewhere then I'll have an even bigger reason to visit there!"

"Thanks Alice…glad to know I'm not a big enough reason," I mock pouted.

She playfully hit my shoulder. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

"I know. And with that being said…I know how you are. Especially with guys. Please don't jump in heart first. Use your head."

Alice stopped in front of what I presumed to be Jasper's room. Just as she raised her hand and knocked on the door, Rosalie chimed in. "I agree with Bella. Just don't…expect too much I guess. It _is_ summer afterall."

We stood there silently while we heard the locks being undone. Slowly the door was pulled open revealing a tall man with a severe case of bedhead and glasses. My eyes started at his bare feet, taking stock of him. When I finally made it up to his eyes, I suddenly froze up.

Green eyes…crooked nose. _Edward._

-oo-

EPOV

She appeared in front of me, almost like an apparition.

Bella did not look like the same girl from the previous night. Beautiful as ever, yes. However now she had her hair pulled into a high ponytail, a snug v-neck t-shirt, jeans that looked warn from use and an old pair of Chucks.

"B-Bella?" my voice croaked. "What are you doing here?"

Her eyes were still wide with the realization of who I was.

My eyes left her for a moment to take note of the two other girls flanking her. Both had their arms crossed, eyebrows raised in question.

"Who are you and how do you know Bella?" the taller of the two ordered.

"I should be asking you the same thing," I muttered.

"I'm here to see Jasper. You must be his cousin?" the other one said with a kind smile.

"Um, yes. I wasn't aware he was expecting anyone." My eyebrows scrunched together, trying to remember if he had said something. I'm pretty sure I was passed out before either of them got back from the party.

"Oh," her eyes fell a bit before holding out her hand. "I'm Alice."

I wordlessly took her hand, not sure what else to say.

"That's Rosalie." She pointed to the tall, moody one. "And you obviously know Bella from somewhere?"

Before anyone could say much else, the sound of two doors opening echoed throughout the space.

Jasper dragged his feet towards us, his eyes widening once he spotted Alice.

"Oh shit. I knew I forgot to do something last night," he groaned, running his hands over his face.

"Forget to set an alarm?" Alice asked.

He closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her waste and effectively pulling her into the room. "I'm sorry."

Rosalie and Bella silently entered behind them, though it looked like Bella needed to be pushed in.

-oo-

I was working on the last batch of chocolate pancakes all the while trying to avoid being obvious in my perusal of Bella. Trying and failing.

She still hadn't said a word to me and they had been in the suite for almost a half-hour.

Instead she stuck close to her friends as they entered, proceeding to grasp on to Rosalie for dear life. At one point I thought she looked a little green around the edges.

_Maybe I should offer her some Ginger Ale. It's supposed to be calm on nervous and weak stomachs, right?_

I flipped the last pancake on the plate before turning off the griddle. I walked over to the larger dining room table, placing the batch of pancakes next to the first. I tried to make a spread of everything: eggs, pancakes (both regular and chocolate chip), bacon, sausage and toast. Nobody had said anything along the lines of special requests – so I suspected I was safe.

Entering the living room I noticed that Emmett and Jasper had made themselves at home with the girls. They even had Bella laughing. Her eyes danced with delight at some stupid impression or story that Emmett was talking about.

Taking a deep breath I cleared my throat, awkwardly hovering in the entryway. They all quieted instantly and turned toward me.

"Uh…breakfast is ready. If you're interested…" I mumbled, looking down at the floor.

Immediately I heard shuffling and everyone passed by me, Emmett leading the charge of course. Bella was the last to pass me, intentionally giving me a wide berth.

I couldn't help the frown as I followed her in.

The food didn't last long and I was glad I had made extra of mostly everything.

"This shit is great bro," Emmett managed to say through large forks-full of eggs.

"Thank you for being so thoughtful to include us," Alice said kindly. I looked up just as she shot a quick glance towards Bella.

Her plate was only half touched and she hadn't said much during the course of the meal. Surely the food met her satisfaction?

Suddenly Emmett's praise didn't mean as much after I saw Bella toying with her food.

"Yeah, it's great Edward. Isn't that _right_ Bella?" Rosalie added.

Bella's eyes looked over to Rosalie before she quickly glanced my way. "Yes…it's delicious."

"My pleasure." I looked down at my plate for the rest of the meal.

-oo-

I was the first to get up from the table, gathering up all the empty dishes to wash. And there were a lot of them.

Humming a random Black Keys song while I loaded the side tray, I didn't hear anybody behind me.

"Uh, here are some more for you."

I gasped and nearly seared my skin off when I stuck my hands into the flaming water. My eyes immediately burned, fogging up my glasses slightly.

"Oh shit…I mean…uh…oh no. Are you okay?"

A hand appeared from beside me, flipping the faucet on to cold. I automatically pushed my hands under the cool flow, sighing in relief.

My eyes slid over to Bella, noting that her face was a bright crimson and she was staring really hard at the counter.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Didn't hear anyone behind me."

"You were humming pretty loud."

"Didn't realize I was." Now it was my turn to blush. I made it a point to not sing, dance, hum or play instruments in front of anybody but my mom. Emmett had always ribbed me for playing the piano even though the asshole practically begged me to teach him guitar in high school.

Another moment passed in silence, neither of us knowing what to say. Rounds of laughter could be heard from the living room…the other four had obviously bonded easily.

"Okay…well I'm gonna go now. See ya!" Bella squeaked before practically running from the room.

I slumped forward, my elbows resting on the edge of the counter in a defeated position. She obviously hated me from the party and now she saw how I really was completely sober.

Awkward. Geeky. Loner.

-oo-

**A/N: **Poor Edward. Will he ever get to talk to Bella? I can guarantee it next chapter. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Do not own the characters.

**A/N: **Sorry this took so long! A combination of writers block and real life kept me away. Hopefully not another month goes by without an update, but I can't promise while school is running the majority of my life. Hope you enjoy this update! Thanks **Lala** for looking over this chapter.

At Summer's End

_Chapter 5

* * *

_

After we finished breakfast at Edward's hotel, the girls and I went back to the house to take advantage of the pool. The sun was shining, the humidity was low and my bathing suit was calling my name.

As the week went on, Alice and Jasper continued to grow closer. Each night I could hear her giggling in her bedroom, most likely a phone attached to her ear.

The Thursday after the 4th of July party, she had just gotten back from their first formal date spouting excitedly about plans for the next day.

"Did I just hear you say that they were coming over tomorrow?" I stuck my head into the living room, interrupting her retelling to Rosalie.

"Yep! I invited Jasper over for a barbeque and swimming. Obviously the invite includes his cousins."

"Great," I mumbled, turning back towards my bedroom.

I'd tried my best at keeping all thoughts of Edward at bay. I would have been able to if the first impression he made was the only one; instead there was the one from that morning at breakfast, completely shattering the opinions I had first held about him.

When he opened that door in all of his disheveled, glass wearing glory…well let's just say my voice seemed to have escaped me.

Instead of the cocky smirk, smart ass attitude and leering eyes, I found shy eyes framed by those amazing glasses and an equally shy smile on his face. When he first spotted me on his doorstep, his already pale skin seemed to have paled a few more shades. In my mind that instantly meant that he was both shocked to even see me again and that it was not a welcome surprise.

Those thoughts stayed with me throughout the rest of our interactions. He cooked an amazing meal but I was just too nervous to eat much.

His brother and cousin made for interesting company. Jasper seemed pretty reserved and quiet while Emmett dominated the conversation. He unabashedly flirted with all three of us and I knew my face must have been beet red from embarrassment by the time we moved to the dining room.

So no, having Edward come to the house did not thrill me very much. Especially when I knew that awkward silences would more then fill up the space from lack of conversation.

_Get a grip. Just stay clear of the pool and you'll be fine_, I thought to myself as I turned into my bedroom.

-oo-

The next day brought bright blue skies and barely any clouds; probably the perfect day to have a pool party. Too bad I was planning to spend as little time outside as possible.

I'd been up since early morning helping the girls set up for their company. The grill was pulled out of storage and cleaned off, the pool was cleared of all bugs and leaves, the food was bought and stored in their respective places and fresh towels were placed in the shaded area of the deck.

I was just putting on a fresh shirt after cleaning up when the doorbell rang out. Distantly I could hear Alice chiming that she 'got it' before a squeal and deep laughter followed.

The boys had entered the building.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my bedroom door and made my way to the front of the house. The noise was now coming from the kitchen and I could distinctly make out Emmett's bear of a voice over everyone else's.

"Oh there you are! Was wondering what was taking you so long," Alice said as I walked into the room.

Shrugging I looked away from Alice and immediately zoned in on Edward. His eyes were turned downwards, looking at a glass of water while he absentmindedly circled the rim with an index finger.

He must have felt my eyes on him because in the next second he was looking right at me.

Clearing his throat he gave a whispered, "Hi Bella."

I might have squeaked but somehow a 'hi' broke through.

Rose broke through our awkward greeting, "So, we have everything set-up outside except for the food. The pool's ready _and_ we bought extra food after seeing Emmett consume the amount that he did yesterday."

"Aw Rosie. I'm just a growing boy," Emmett said, smiling and putting his dimples on full display.

"Growing boy my ass," she muttered.

"Jazz, will you cook the burgers?" Alice said in the most sickeningly sweet voice that I had ever heard.

He looked momentarily dazed before he nodded with a goofy grin.

"Excellent!" she gushed before giving him a quick kiss.

Alice showed the guys where they could change and they each took their turn in the guest bathroom. I talked easily with Jasper and Emmett once again, but all the while kept an eye out for Edward. As soon as he disappeared into the bathroom, I made my excuses and went back to my room.

I knew I was being anti-social but really I was just doing Edward a favor. He seemed so uncomfortable with me around; by eliminating myself from the equation I figured that he would more likely have a better time.

Rose was single and he was a good looking guy – why not attempt to make a move on her?

At that thought I quickly blanched and moved to get my book bag. I made my way over to the bench seat that overlooked the backyard and pool. Here I could watch all of the action without being a part of it.

Not wasting any time I opened one of my textbook for the upcoming fall. I figured I'd get a head start on the demanding workload that I knew I would have.

Shortly after I was able to forget my surroundings and concentrate on the material, a loud yelp floated up through the open window.

It looked like Edward got pushed into the pool by Emmett without being fully prepared. He popped back up out of the water with his glasses still on. First he openly glared at his brother before the biggest smile spread across his face.

My mouth may have opened a little from the full effect that it had on me. The feeling quickly left when Rosalie, clad only in a tiny bikini, met Edward at the steps of the pool with a towel. He rewarded her with that same smile before moving to a lounger.

From that point on it was a bit harder to concentrate. I didn't really think Rosalie would have showed much attention to him, especially when his brother was more her type.

As the afternoon wore on and the group below got more into their party the harder it was to concentrate on reading.

I could smell the amazing scents coming from the grill and debated on making an appearance to grab my own plate. It was at that moment that I looked down again when Edward happened to look up and right in my direction.

His eyebrows drew together as he watched me for a minute. After what felt like hours, he broke eye contact and disappeared beneath the canopy of the house.

Ten minutes later there was a knock on my door. I yelled for them to come in when Edward's head appeared through the crack.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi…w-what are you doing up here?"

He pushed the door fully open, revealing two full plates of food. First he placed them on the bed before turning around and grabbing two sodas sitting right outside my door.

"I thought you might be hungry."

"Oh. That's really nice of you. Rosalie could have just yelled for me though," I said while closing my textbook and sitting it on the seat next to me.

"That's not very nice…to just yell for you. Though I don't understand why you didn't come join us," he said quietly.

Offering only a shrug in response, I placed the plate he handed me in my lap.

Edward stood in the middle of my room looking a bit lost. That's when I realized he was probably waiting for me to offer him a place to sit.

I cleared my pile of books off of the other side of the window seat where not a moment later he was sitting with his own food.

We ate in silence for a few moments. How he knew what condiments I liked on my burger I didn't know. Rose or Alice probably informed him before he came to find me.

His eyes were trained on the books I had moved. Chewing thoughtfully, he finally spoke up, "Books for school?"

"Yeah. Just trying to get ahead while I still can."

"Rosalie was saying this is a graduation trip. I take it you just got out of high school?"

I nodded before putting my empty plate on the ground.

"Where are you from?" I asked.

"Born in New York but raised and still live in Chicago."

"Do you go to school?" I asked, already know the answer.

"Yeah. University of Chicago with Emmett and Jasper. I guess you can say we stick together even though we really don't have much in common."

"Really? You all seem pretty close."

"They're…um…more social I guess you can say. I tend to spend more time in the library then at fraternity parties." His cheeks colored a bit while his eyes didn't quite meet mine.

Once again the room lapsed into silence. He picked up on of the books and I watched him examine the contents.

"Literature? Is that what you're studying?" he asked.

"That's the direction I'm going for. I've always loved to read and write."

"Are you going to go into teaching or maybe an editor?"

He seemed completely invested in finding out more about me. Nobody had showed that much interest in what I wanted to do, mostly because they figured I'd be just fine in whatever I ended up doing. This was a nice change of pace.

"Editor…maybe even trying my hand at getting published one day. Have to get through school first. I'm really nervous about moving, but I can't wait start over and build a life."

"Where are you going to be this fall?"

I looked up him, suddenly shy about admitting that we'd be in the same city. Answering slowly, "Not too far from you actually."

His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "You're going to U of C too?"

"No. I'm actually going to Northwestern."

A slow smile brother across his feature, the blush coming back. "Really? You're moving to Chicago?"

Nodding I answered, "Next month. I'll be going a few weeks earlier to get settled."

"What a small world," he muttered in a voice that seemed filled with awe.

"Yep."

Squeals could be heard from below. We both looked out and found that the others had been taking advantage of the pool.

"You should go back out there and have some fun. Thanks for lunch," I said in a low voice.

"Aren't you coming out?" he asked.

"Nah. Besides, you seem to be getting along with Rosalie. She's probably missing you."

"Rosalie?" he said as his lips pressed into a thin line.

I tried to give him the best smile I could, hoping to hide the disappointment sinking into my stomach.

"I think you're mistaken Bella. There is nothing going on…um…just no…" he sputtered.

All the sudden he seemed angry. His hands clenched into fists, his head bowed down seeming to hunch into himself.

"Oh…I just thought…I'm sorry for assuming," I said.

"Yeah. No problem. Well I'll let you be then; thanks for putting up with me and my questions."

With that he got up with his plate and was out of the door before I could even manage another word. What had I said? He seemed to genuinely enjoy being around my almost sister.

Maybe he was actually more interested in spending time with me?

I let out a groan, finally realizing that I made myself look stupid once again. This was why I never tried to date or commit myself to someone. Not being able to hold a coherent conversation without offending the other person was a bit of a problem for me.

Feeling utterly sorry for myself, I got up and made my way towards the hallway with my empty dish. Rounding the corner of the hallway, I stumbled into another body.

Letting out a grunt and managing to balance myself before I fell on my butt, I looked to find Edward standing there. He looked at stunned as I felt.

"Sorry. Dammit, are you okay?" His hands hovered over me but never touching.

"Yeah. That tends to happen to me a lot, don't worry about it."

At that point I knew my cheeks could rival Rudolph's nose.

"Hey," he said softly. "It was my fault. I was just coming back to apologize for being an ass. You just caught me off guard with the Rosalie assumption."

"Oh. Well don't worry about it. I should just keep my opinions to myself. Sorry if I offended you."

"You didn't."

I smiled at him before walking around him and into the kitchen. He followed silently behind, leaning his elbows on the counter as I placed everything in the sink.

"I thought you were going to go swim again?" I motioned toward the backyard.

"No. We're going to be leaving in a few. I think they're out there cleaning up right now."

"Were we up in my room that long?"

"Seems so. I know I was fully into our conversation. Much better then chancing looking like a lobster at the end of the day." And then he gave me the smile that I'd seen from my perch above the pool.

My knees may have gotten weak all over again.

"Me too. I mean…not the lobster part, but the conversation part," I blurted out.

He gave me a lopsided smile before his features turned serious. Suddenly he looked a little green around the edges and a bit fidgety.

As he opened his mouth to say something, the rest of the group barged into the house, breaking our silent haven.

"Yo E, we need to get going. Have all your shit together?" Emmett asked, playfully punching Edward in shoulder.

"Yes _Em_, I have all my _shit _together." He glared at his brother.

"Good. Now let's thank these lovely ladies for an eventful afternoon. Though next time hopefully Bella will be joining us." Emmett playfully glared at me, causing me to giggle.

I said my goodbyes to Jasper and Emmett and watched as Rosalie slipped something into Emmett's pocket.

"Bella?" Edward approached somewhat shyly.

"Yes Edward?"

"Would you…um…I mean…can I call you?" he stuttered.

"Really?" I couldn't help but mentally cringe at the shock laced in my response.

He laughed lightly. "Yes really."

"I think I would like that," I whispered so that he could only hear.

He took my hand in his, which was shaking slightly, before placing a light kiss on my knuckles.

"Thank you Bella."

Almost instantly he was gone, leaving me reeling from that last gesture.

-oo-

**A/N: **So what did you think? What's going to happen next? Let me know in a review if you feel so inclined. Oh and FYI – this story is going to be relatively low on the angst scale. There may be a bit because I cannot stay completely away from it. My last story was full of it, so this is my reprieve.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own these characters.

**A/N: **I hope you enjoy this entire chapter that is Edward's ramblings. Thank you to my beta **Lala** for looking this over.

At Summer's End

_Chapter 6_

-oo-

I did it.

I couldn't believe I actually _did _it. In fact the words were out of my mouth before I could even stop them.

I, Edward Cullen, had permission to call Bella Swan. Yeah that may have been an old fashioned statement, but she was special.

Of course being me, I jumped the gun and raced out of the house in excitement before I got her number.

Luckily Bella chased after me and handed over a folded piece of paper. I held it tightly in my fist the entire way back to our hotel.

The week that followed the girls' visit, I'd managed to do a whole lot of nothing besides think of Bella. I had plans to start brainstorming my senior project, even though I had more than a year to go before I had to worry about it. Math, or should I say measurements, have always been a big interest to me. Combine that with my love for drawing – architecture seemed like the right path to go.

So even though I had my sketch book out, it remained blank.

The morning that we were supposed to head over to hang out with the girls, I resolved myself to growing a pair and at least have a semi-coherent conversation with Bella.

After I changed into my trunks, I made my way out to the backyard, a little too excited about seeing Bella in a bikini. Ahem…if you know what I mean.

Emmett thought it would be funny to push me into the pool before I was ready. So with my glasses still on and my back turned to my brother – I went flying into the deep end. On the other hand, given how eh, excited, I was, perhaps he was just being helpful in his

own goofy way?

Of course the stupid oaf did nothing to help; instead he stood there laughing.

"Really mature." I glared at him before taking a towel from Rosalie.

As the day wore on and it became clear that Bella wasn't going to be making an appearance out back, Rosalie threw me a bone.

"She's holed up in her room right now. Probably with yet _another_ book pressed against her nose," Rosalie said.

"Does she not like to swim?"

"No. She can be a fish if she wants to. Maybe she was just too shy to be in a bathing suit?" She shrugged.

"Burgers are ready!" Jasper said from across the yard.

Before I could make my way over, Rosalie grabbed my arm, halting my movement.

"You know Edward…Bella may be getting hungry. Someone should think about taking her up a plate…" she said, her eyebrows rising.

I looked at her for a long moment, a bit confused as to why she was saying this to me. Then…ohh…it clicked.

"I can maybe take her something?"

"Why Edward…that is such a sweet offer," Rosalie said with mock surprise. "She only likes ketchup and a bit of mayo on the bun. Leave everything else off. Oh and take a soda up."

With a wink Rosalie turned her back to me to get her own food.

So that is exactly what I did and thanks to Rosalie, I got to talk to Bella. She seemed to quickly warm up to me, making me believe that my earlier assumptions about her were false.

Then she dropped the biggest shock of all…she was moving to Chicago.

I didn't much believe in fate, but something was at work with us meeting here. I mean, what are the chances that I met this amazing girl all the way across the country from my home?

Unfortunately the time came for us to head home for the night and I suddenly got a bit scared about walking away from Bella.

That's how I worked up the guts to ask for her number, knowing that I wanted to get to know her more.

The kiss on the knuckles was unplanned, but it felt right.

-oo-

"You look nice. Where are you heading off to?" Jasper asked, leaning against the door of my bedroom.

I finished buttoning up my shirt before answering him. "Taking Bella out."

He started coughing, his eyes going wide. "Excuse me? Taking Bella out? Since when are you and Bella anything?"

"Well…we're not anything. At least right now. Not that I would assume she wants anything from me. But…um…she agreed to spend the evening with me," I rambled.

"Wow man…that's really, really cool. Glad that you worked up the courage to ask her out," he said with an approving smile.

I waited a few days before calling her. Though I had her number programmed into my phone before we were even pulling out of their driveway. I'd spent so much time staring at the digits on the screen that I now had her number memorized.

She had sounded surprised that I called…which I didn't understand in the least. She definitely wasn't like Rosalie or Alice, but that was okay. She was very refreshing that way, a feature that first drew me to her…even if I was a drunken asshole at the time.

And since I was a drunken asshole, I felt like that was what put Bella on her guard around me. So after she agreed to a date, I was determined to prove that I wasn't that guy she first met.

"Edward?" Jasper's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"I know you spend a lot of time in that head of yours…but tonight, just try and be fully present. Girls like it when they have your complete attention."

"I plan to do nothing but pay attention to Bella. So thanks anyways," I grumbled.

"I'm sure you'll be great. Sweep her off her feet."

With that final statement of encouragement, I grabbed my jacket and walked out the door.

-oo-

Since we had only one car amongst us guys, I decided to rent a car for the night so that I didn't have to worry about sharing with anyone.

I had picked up a single white rose for Bella which she had taken with a shy smile. Alice and Rosalie were nowhere to be found and I was thankful for that. I already felt like there was a lot riding on this evening and the last thing I needed was an additional audience.

"You look really nice tonight Bella," I said quietly as we pulled away from her house.

And she really did. Looking feminine in a casual sundress with her feet clad in flats. She hadn't brought a jacket, even at my insistence. But I figured if the problem arose that she got cold, then the perfect opportunity to come to her rescue with my jacket would solve the problem. I even noticed that she put a bit of makeup on though she really didn't need it.

"So do you Edward." I watched out of the corner of my eye as she pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You were pretty vague about our plans on the phone. Are you going to tell me now?"

I felt a smile spread across my face, thinking about what I had planned for her. "Nope. You'll have to wait and see. Trust me."

She shot me a wry smile. "Trust you, huh? I don't know about that just yet…but I'll let you try to earn it – tonight."

"That's all I can hope for," I said seriously, completely ignoring her attempt at making a joke of it.

Where my hand had been sitting lonely on the center console, it was now warmed by Bella's. She squeezed my fingers slightly before leaving them there.

"Is…is this okay?" she asked nervously.

"More then okay."

Soon we pulled into a large dirt lot, almost fully dark besides the occasional light guiding cars along the way.

Bella quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned forward, practically pressing herself into the windshield.

Ahead of us were lines of cars parking outside of a large grassy area, backed up by an oversized screen.

"Edward….are we at a drive-in?" she asked in awe.

"No. Not exactly."

I parked towards the back and to the center of the lot, switching off the car before turning to her. I knew I had a smug look at my face because she started giggling.

"You look pretty proud of yourself. What exactly are we doing?" she asked, motioning towards the screen.

"Well I did some research and found this. It's only open during the summer months and basically it's an outdoor amphitheatre of sorts. Instead of seating, the lawn slopes down and people set up blankets and chairs. Every two weeks during the summer they feature a classic movie."

"What movie are we seeing?"

"I may have asked Rosalie and Alice what one of your favorite movies was while we were over last week…and they may have told me Dirty Dancing."

She squealed slightly, her eyes bright with excitement. "We're going to watch Dirty Dancing on the big screen? Under the stars?"

"Yeah…does that sound good?"

"It does. Perfect actually." She leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before opening her door and climbing out.

I drew in a shuddering breath, trying to calm my nerves.

After climbing out of the car, I made my way to the trunk. Bella met me, looking curiously into the back as I grabbed a cooler and two large blankets.

"You made dinner?"

"It's not much….just some sub sandwiches, sodas and cookies. I did make the cookies thought…the sandwiches were bought." I smiled down at her look of shock.

Soon we were walking silently toward the entrance. Thankfully Bella was carrying the blankets, so shifting the cooler to my other arm in order to grab the tickets was easier.

The usher silently ripped them in half before handing me the stubs.

We both looked around, trying to find the perfect spot. A lot of people were sprawled towards the lower and middle parts of the hill.

"Why don't we stay towards the top? It looks like we'll have a bit of privacy that way," I suggested.

"Just what I was thinking," Bella responded before walking towards the center.

We laid out one of the blankets before settling onto it.

"Sorry I didn't tell you what to wear. I hope you're not too uncomfortable in that dress," I said as I handed her some of the food.

"I'll be fine. If I get cold I'll let you know."

We ate in relative silence, stealing looks and murmuring our approval over the food. The low lights finally turned off and the beginning credits began to roll just as I was packing the leftovers away in the carrier.

Bella's eyes were trained on the screen as she resituated herself near the center of the blanket. I did the same, only I was watching her as I moved.

There was a soft breeze that caused her hair to lightly fly around her shoulders. Her face was illuminated by the light coming from the screen, wide eyed and a small smile was present.

Yes I was still staring…probably almost at a stalker level at this point.

She squealed when Patrick Swayze entered the screen and I swear I heard a low moan from her when the first seductive dance came on as well.

Suddenly her back went ram-rod straight, her hands were drown into tight fists and she began to bite her bottom lip.

That's when I found myself scooting a bit closer to her. Soon the space was a little less then a few inches from one another.

Bella turned her head slightly towards me, now aware of the proximity. I saw a slight shiver break across her body.

Immediately concerned about her catching a chill, I quickly extracted my jacket from my side before placing it over her shoulders. "You looked cold. Please wear this."

She placed her hand over mine, which was still sitting on her shoulder, before offering me a grateful smile.

When Baby began getting private dance lessons in the movie, Bella began to sway to the music.

She leaned towards me, resting her side against mine. "You know…I've always wanted to take lessons like that. But I've always had a bit of a balance problem, so that's what's always stopped me."

"A balance problem?" I smiled.

"Yes! A balance problem. Sometimes I would get distracted easily when I was younger and then I'd all of the sudden find myself on the ground…usually on my ass." She was suddenly flushed from defending herself.

"What were you distracted about?"

"My dad said that I was a daydreamer. I've always been that way."

"I like that you're a dreamer," I whispered while letting my eyes travel across her features.

She frowned slightly before giving me a small smile and patting my knee lightly. "Uh

huh…not you too! Alice and Rose like to give me a hard time about it."

I found myself frowning at her reaction. Had I done something wrong? I wasn't trying to be cheesy or cliché.

I thought that's the stuff you were supposed to say on a date…but she didn't take it like I thought she would.

The way Bella reacted and the pat on my leg after seemed as though we were just friends. In fact we hadn't really come out to categorize this…_thing_…as a date. Not on the phone, not in person, nothing.

Suddenly the thought that she might not view this night the same way that I did made me start to panic. I thought this was a date….I _wanted _this to be a date.

My stomach began to turn over with nerves, the confidence that I had felt all night disappearing in a second.

"What's wrong Edward? You got quiet all of the sudden," Bella's voice broke through my silent breakdown. I felt her lightly lean against my side once again, which didn't help the war going on inside of me.

I swallowed thickly before turning towards her, needing to know her answer. "Bella…what does this night mean to you?"

-oo-

**A/N: **Sorry for the cliffie! I'll update as soon as I can. Until then…let me know what you thought?


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Still not mine.

**A/N: **A longer A/N at the bottom. If you're still with me, hope this isn't too disappointing.

At Summer's End

_Chapter 7_

* * *

_The way Bella reacted and the pat on my leg after seemed as though we were just friends. In fact we hadn't really come out to categorize this…__thing__…as a date. Not on the phone, not in person, nothing._

_Suddenly the thought that she might not view this night the same way that I did made me start to panic. I thought this was a date….I __wanted __this to be a date._

_My stomach began to turn over with nerves, the confidence that I had felt all night disappearing in a second._

_"What's wrong Edward? You got quiet all of the sudden," Bella's voice broke through my silent breakdown. I felt her lightly lean against my side once again, which didn't help the war going on inside of me._

_I swallowed thickly before turning towards her, needing to know her answer. "Bella…what does this night mean to you?"_  
BPOV

-oo-

Edward had given me the perfect night. I didn't expect him to think of something such as an outdoor movie. Also, the fact that it was one of my favorite movies of all-time made it even more special.

At first I got sucked into Johnny and Baby's story just as I always did. However when the movie started heating up, my mind quickly started replacing the faces of the actors with mine and Edward's.

It wasn't Patrick and Jennifer swaying close together, or in the water. That was Edward holding me tightly, his hand sliding slowly down my leg before hitching it over his hip. I could almost feel it from where I was sitting.

A moment later I came back to the present and could feel his eyes on me. Probably wondering why I was acting like an idiot. The only thing I managed to do around him was come across as spastic.

The way he was staring at me led me to believe that he either knew what I was thinking or trying to figure out how best to let me know he was ready to end the date.

As soon as I had that thought however, he was suddenly sitting directly next to me. He eventually gave me his jacket, which only confused me more. Edward had barely touched me all night. I really hoped I wasn't giving off some bitch vibe. Alice and Rosalie would occasionally comment on my stunted social skills, especially with the opposite sex.

Of course I ended up opening my big trap again about my balance problems. Edward cracked a teasing smile and reiterated words that the girls often made fun of me with.

I didn't mean for it to happen, but I felt myself closing up – not that I had been overly open to begin with.

We sat in silence for a few more moments before Edward cleared his throat. Now he was the one acting oddly.

I hesitantly asked him if there was something wrong.

This caused his eyes to shoot up to mine, an unreadable expression crossing his features.

"Bella…what does this night mean to you?"

For a few beats I just stared at him. My verbal and mental capacities seemed to have dried up with his question.

"What do you mean?" I finally asked.

His head dropped down, a slight shake of frustration rustling his hair.

"Please…don't answer a question with a question. You are already hard to read and I'm nervous enough." The screens lighting allowed me to see a slight tinting to Edward's cheeks.

He was being more straightforward than usual. It was pretty hot actually.

"Well…I thought it was us spending some alone time together. To get to know one another. Am I wrong?" I asked.

"Not necessarily…," he trailed off. "Crap! I don't know how to do this," he moaned.

"Do what Edward?"

"Talk to you. Okay. I sound like a fool with no brain function when I get around you!"

I couldn't help the slight chuckle that left my mouth. He looked so frustrated and…pained.

"Edward. I…really enjoy your company. I'm sorry I'm not better at this either." My eyes dropped to where my fingers twisted anxiously in my skirt.

"No…no. You're great Bella. Let me just say…I personally wanted this to be…uh…a date. That's what I was kind of trying to ask you earlier," he said softly.

"I thought that's what it was too Edward. All along. I promise."

I hesitantly placed my hand on top of one of his, the warmth coming from him instantly made me feel calmer.

"I guess we both just need to learn how to chill out, huh?" he asked with a sheepish smile.

"I'm trying…and will continue to try Edward. However, I'm not sure if it's just me, but every time we are together – it's so intense. Do you know what I mean?" I squeezed his hand, hoping he knew what I was trying to say.

I didn't have to wait long before his other hand came to lie on top of mine, his fingers lacing mine from atop.

My eyes were still trained on our hands when he cleared his throat again. "Will you please look at me Bella?"

Slowly, I raised my head, looking at Edward through my eyelashes. He was smiling so wide, his eye lit up against the movie screen.

"So let me recap the night thus far. You loved the movie, I had a mini meltdown over whether this was a date or not and we agree that whatever this is between us is probably beyond our control. Did I get everything?"

"I think so," I whispered.

He withdrew his hand from mine, leaving an empty feeling behind. However, just as soon as I had that thought, I felt it being replaced on my cheek.

"That's good then, isn't it?" he whispered, leaning in slowly. "Because I'm willing to surrender to the powers that be."

My eyes met his, now closer than they had ever been. "Me too."

The moment seemed to freeze around us. Any noise felt cut off except for our breathing, the stars seemed to sparkle brighter and the movie ceased to exist.

Edward's eyes dropped to my lips, unconsciously licking his own.

I was nervous and exhilarated with the thought of what was to come. Trying hard to not bite my lip, I leaned in a little more, trying to convey that I wanted him to make the next move.

His other hand encased the other side of my face, framing me delicately. Edward finally leaned in the rest of the way to where our lips were practically touching.

"Relax, beautiful," he breathed as soft as a summer breeze.

With that he softly captured my lips, caressing for a beat before pulling away. My eyes slowly opened and met his slightly dazed ones.

"That was…" he began before I pulled him back to me.

My hands met at the nape of his neck, where they played with the shorter hair there. I opened my mouth slightly before hesitantly running my tongue over his bottom lip. He let out a deep groan before opening his mouth and taking my bottom lip between his own. The kiss was unhurried and tender. Nibbling and suckling, a slow dance that he was in complete control of. Eventually Edward pulled away only to lean in and softly brush both my top and bottom lip individually.

We finally parted slightly, breathing heavier than we had been. The kiss was beyond what I expected. He was more than I expected.

"That was amazing…"I finished his sentence from a few minutes ago.

"You've got that right." Edward had another wide grin and slightly flushed cheeks.

The world seemed to catch up with us then, the park lights flickering on. During our little moment, we had missed the last part of the movie. I wasn't even the least bit sad about that either.

"I guess it's time to go," Edward sighed before slowly extracting my arms from around his neck. Before he let go, he lightly brushed his lips along the knuckles on my right hand.

We quietly picked up the remainder of our trash and folded the blanket. Edward grabbed the basket before throwing his arm casually across my shoulders.

"Let's get you home Cinderella. We don't want your carriage to turn into a pumpkin now do we?" he said lightly, winking at me as we walked back to the car.

I amended in that moment to quit thinking so damned much and just enjoy what was happening between us. That had been what I promised myself at the beginning of the summer, right? That kiss felt like the beginning of a new chapter in my life…and I couldn't wait to see what came next.

-oo-

**A/N: ***peeks around laptop screen* Hello…anyone still there? It's been...*checks calendar*…almost 5 months since I've updated. If people have flounced, I completely understand. Several factors played in to my long hiatus – writer's block, school demands, the holidays and other RL factors. I hope I haven't lost my touch. I wouldn't say I'm completely satisfied with this chapter, but I didn't want to withhold it any longer from you. I can't promise when the next update is…but I'm going to try like hell to do it a lot sooner than 5 months. I hope you can bear with me. I appreciate each and every person that even gives this a chance.


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